Happily Ever After Begins Here -- An Oct. 2012 TR Updated! 11/17!

[fabulousfive]

I'm sooo glad to have found this thread!!! I love the report from MNSSHP. Looks like a great night. Those firework photos make me feel like I was there - amazing! And funny that I was considering that same spot for the MVMCP parade this year too! Are you standing right in front of the patch of grass? Did you have to get there super early? Love it all. Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[FancyNancy]

omg Omg OMG!!!! Holy smokes those are THE BEST PICS OF HALLOWISHES I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!

Sorry for shouting but WOW! AMAZING! The parade too I mean how is it that Franklin is not a world famous photographer at this point???

 

[Mommy Poppins]

Amazing pictures! Great update! Can't wait to go to MNSSHP in September!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Your pictures are simply INCREDIBLE!! Seriously, holy cow, incredible. Wow.

Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm enjoying the story too. Sounds like you guys had a great trip. Love the costumes and especially your Minnie & Mickey pose.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Some of those pictures look like a Currier and Ives painting. They are great. It makes me want to go to the party.

 

[khertz]

All of the fireworks & parade shots look like promo photos!!! Absolutely gorgeous, and perfect vantage points for both! I have been really excited about the party already, but this just made me even MORE excited, if that was possible! I think for our party this year, we are going to watch the first parade with Paxton from Frontierland, and then let DH set up the tripod to take pics of the second parade from Main Street while I take Paxton to either do something else or let him sleep in the stroller. It looks like it's totally worth it to wait for the second parade!

 

[magichusky]

Just joining in and I'm finally all caught up- such AMAZING photos!!! I can't wait until I can buy one of those "fancy schmancy" cameras. I really like how small my point and shoot is but the colors are just nowhere near as vibrant. These are definitely the best photos I've ever seen in a TR!

I'm so excited to read about the proposal- I can't believe that Franklin was able to wait this long!

Looking forward to reading more and also to checking out your other TRs!

 

[Angeejoe]

That stinks that we'll just miss each other! Are you going to do a TR? Because you know I'm in! Franklin and I just started talking about costumes today. Can't reveal what we're thinking... But I will say that I'm feeling a little princess-y. ​

I'll be honest I have no idea how to do a TR! Or even where to start!

I love the princess idea! Do you think you will go full gown? I love the idea of a crown! I can see Belle in you! You have that hair & coloring for it!

 

[Missyrose]

Hey Missy and Franklin!

I've been behind on all my TRs, including my own! But I popped in over here just in time to see the most amazing series of shots ever from any hard ticket party.

I love that spot at the end of Main Street. I've done MVMCP from there a couple times and hope to try MNSSHP from there one day. Not that it matters. I'll probably just delete all of what I take since there's no way it will stack up to what I just saw here!

I'm sooooo behind reading everyone's TRs (I guess that's what happens when you spend all your free time writing 3 TRs at once! ), but yours is at the top of my list Janet! We're going to the beach for the Fourth this week, so I should get some laid-back TR-reading time.

Amazing!!! Just simply amazing shots. I have attended 4 MNSSHP and would go every year if I could. The fireworks and parade just make the night. And Franklin's photos have captured that night in such an awesome light. And now (thank you) I am singing the fireworks song-better than Boo to You though, I guess.
I tend to agree with you that you have so much fun when you are dressed and participating with the characters. Our family dressed up one year as Capt. Hook, Tink, Peter Pan and I was Wendy. The CMs seem to go out of their way to involve you in the action a little more.
Your costumes were adorable!!! Glad you were able to get your money back on Franklin's shoes (but I think his Mickey slipper addition made the costume).

The Hallowishes music got me through the last mile of my first 5K back in March. I loooooove the Halloween fireworks, it all just works so well with the music.

I was so happy with how awesome those slippers looked with Franklin's costume. Fate definitely sprinkled a little pixie dust on us with the other shoes falling apart.

What an incredible trip report--thank you for sharing it! I love what you wrote about DVC (easily the best purchase we ever made). I feel exactly the same way! I have buyer's remorse about practically everything, but not with DVC, not for even one second! I hope you're having a great day!

We love our DVC (we'd better, we just bought a VGF contract, our third!). It's so nice to be able to say "I'd like to go to Star Wars Weekend next year" and know we can plan the trip. DVC and APs make it very dangerous because you start to feel like a Disney trip will only cost you a plane ticket and food money!

I've questioned whether the price of the MNSSHP was actually worth the price, but your photos and report convinced me that it is.

You guys are too cute and once again, the photos are fabulous!

Any time someone asks "Is MNSSHP worth it?" on the Theme Parks board, I always say the parade and fireworks alone make it worth it. Throw in the fun character M&Gs, free candy and overall atmosphere in the park? Totally and completely worth it, in my book!

It makes me a little sad that with trips planned for May, August and December 2014 (yes, I know, a crazy number of trips), we'll have to forgo our usual October trip and miss the Food and Wine Festival and MNSSHP next year.

I'm running out of superlatives to describe Franklin's photography. What a talented guy!

Love the costumes!

Thanks!

I'm sooo glad to have found this thread!!! I love the report from MNSSHP. Looks like a great night. Those firework photos make me feel like I was there - amazing! And funny that I was considering that same spot for the MVMCP parade this year too! Are you standing right in front of the patch of grass? Did you have to get there super early? Love it all. Thanks for sharing!!!!

We're glad you found us too! We didn't set up at the Partners' Statue super early, maybe a good half-hour or 45 minutes before the fireworks. We waited until the first parade was over. Franklin will correct me if I'm wrong, but he had his tripod set up right behind (and slightly to the right) of the planter that houses the statue.

omg Omg OMG!!!! Holy smokes those are THE BEST PICS OF HALLOWISHES I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!

Sorry for shouting but WOW! AMAZING! The parade too I mean how is it that Franklin is not a world famous photographer at this point???

Thank you!

Amazing pictures! Great update! Can't wait to go to MNSSHP in September!

You are going to have so much fun at the party! Have you thought about costumes yet?

Your pictures are simply INCREDIBLE!! Seriously, holy cow, incredible. Wow.

Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm enjoying the story too. Sounds like you guys had a great trip. Love the costumes and especially your Minnie & Mickey pose.

I'm always looking for new ways to interact with the characters, so getting Mickey and Minnie to show us how to pose was really fun!

Some of those pictures look like a Currier and Ives painting. They are great. It makes me want to go to the party.

I hope you get to go to a party soon! They're So. Much. Fun!

All of the fireworks & parade shots look like promo photos!!! Absolutely gorgeous, and perfect vantage points for both! I have been really excited about the party already, but this just made me even MORE excited, if that was possible! I think for our party this year, we are going to watch the first parade with Paxton from Frontierland, and then let DH set up the tripod to take pics of the second parade from Main Street while I take Paxton to either do something else or let him sleep in the stroller. It looks like it's totally worth it to wait for the second parade!

Yes, totally worth it to watch the second parade. You could even park yourself on one of the benches in Town Square with the stroller and watch the parade from afar while Paxton slept.

Just joining in and I'm finally all caught up- such AMAZING photos!!! I can't wait until I can buy one of those "fancy schmancy" cameras. I really like how small my point and shoot is but the colors are just nowhere near as vibrant. These are definitely the best photos I've ever seen in a TR!

I'm so excited to read about the proposal- I can't believe that Franklin was able to wait this long!

Looking forward to reading more and also to checking out your other TRs!

Hi Lauren! Thanks for joining in! The proposal is coming closer! Have fun at Disney next week! There should be some pretty spectacular fireworks!

I'll be honest I have no idea how to do a TR! Or even where to start!

I love the princess idea! Do you think you will go full gown? I love the idea of a crown! I can see Belle in you! You have that hair & coloring for it!

If you want to do a TR, take pictures of EVERYTHING you do and keep a journal of each day's events. I didn't do a TR for my first Disney trip with Franklin. But after becoming addicted to other people's TRs, I started writing them for our second trip (and each one since then).

It will definitely be an unconventional princess costume. ​

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm sooooo behind reading everyone's TRs (I guess that's what happens when you spend all your free time writing 3 TRs at once! ), but yours is at the top of my list Janet! We're going to the beach for the Fourth this week, so I should get some laid-back TR-reading time.

​

You didn't miss much. I just added a mini-TR from our own recent beach vacation (with a quick one day Disney stop). So you can read about our beach trip while enjoying your own! ​

 

[Missyrose]

You didn't miss much. I just added a mini-TR from our own recent beach vacation (with a quick one day Disney stop). So you can read about our beach trip while enjoying your own!

But there isn't any character hunting on a beach trip? ​

 

[mom2rtk]

But there isn't any character hunting on a beach trip? ​

LOL, thankfully there weren't many characters on the beach. Well, except us! No, I take that back. Tropical Storm Andrea was really a character..... Thankfully our favorite beach is in Florida and we managed to find 19 characters on our quick stop at Disney.

Which beach are you headed for?

 

[Missyrose]

LOL, thankfully there weren't many characters on the beach. Well, except us! No, I take that back. Tropical Storm Andrea was really a character..... Thankfully our favorite beach is in Florida and we managed to find 19 characters on our quick stop at Disney.

Which beach are you headed for?

Ocean City, Maryland. My family has a house up there. It's only about three hours from where we live.

 

[mom2rtk]

Ocean City, Maryland. My family has a house up there. It's only about three hours from where we live.

So you guys will have to be the characters there. Still sounds lovely. I would LOVE to have something interesting 3 hours from where we live! Unfortunately that 3 hours zone includes a lot of rural land in Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Sigh.

You want me to ship you all of this sunscreen Andrea left us with?

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome updates!

 

[Pixel Dust]

Hey Missy and Franklin!

I've been behind on all my TRs, including my own! But I popped in over here just in time to see the most amazing series of shots ever from any hard ticket party.

I love that spot at the end of Main Street. I've done MVMCP from there a couple times and hope to try MNSSHP from there one day. Not that it matters. I'll probably just delete all of what I take since there's no way it will stack up to what I just saw here!

Thanks Janet! That's very flattering. No need to delete stuff. Your photos are pretty amazing too!​

I'm sooo glad to have found this thread!!! I love the report from MNSSHP. Looks like a great night. Those firework photos make me feel like I was there - amazing! And funny that I was considering that same spot for the MVMCP parade this year too! Are you standing right in front of the patch of grass? Did you have to get there super early? Love it all. Thanks for sharing!!!!

Thanks! I decided not to sit dead center on Main Street, in front of the flag pole. The taller floats would have blocked the castle entirely. By going slightly off center, it lets the castle peek from behind. That spot is in the street, just off the sidewalk of the "hub" in Town Square where the flag pole stands. So, it's between the Emporium and the flag pole. The street is roped off so I was right there on the ropes, and the parade goes to the Confectionery side of the Town Square "hub".​

omg Omg OMG!!!! Holy smokes those are THE BEST PICS OF HALLOWISHES I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!

Sorry for shouting but WOW! AMAZING! The parade too I mean how is it that Franklin is not a world famous photographer at this point???

Thank you so much! It would be awesome if I was world famous. ​

All of the fireworks & parade shots look like promo photos!!! Absolutely gorgeous, and perfect vantage points for both! I have been really excited about the party already, but this just made me even MORE excited, if that was possible! I think for our party this year, we are going to watch the first parade with Paxton from Frontierland, and then let DH set up the tripod to take pics of the second parade from Main Street while I take Paxton to either do something else or let him sleep in the stroller. It looks like it's totally worth it to wait for the second parade!

It was definitely easier setting up for the second parade. Most people that saw the first parade and Hallowishes, are probably off to doing other things around the park. I was expecting more of a struggle to find a spot.​

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks Janet! That's very flattering. No need to delete stuff. Your photos are pretty amazing too!​

Thanks Franklin, but I was actually serious. Amazing.

Or maybe instead of deleting all my shots, I should throw away my Canon and buy a Nikon?

 

[Pixel Dust]

Thanks Franklin, but I was actually serious. Amazing.

Or maybe instead of deleting all my shots, I should throw away my Canon and buy a Nikon?

If only photography was that easy.

You can probably start looking for deals on the 60D now. Canon just announced the 70D. Or you can just get the latest and greatest. They are touting, best ISO in its class...​

 

[mom2rtk]

If only photography was that easy.

You can probably start looking for deals on the 60D now. Canon just announced the 70D. Or you can just get the latest and greatest. They are touting, best ISO in its class...​

I've been sorely tempted on some of those 60D deals. But my understanding is that the T2i and the 60D have the same sensor. If I decide to get something, I want more than just additional bells and whistles. So I'm waiting and watching for the price and feedback on the 70D. Oh, and for the camera fairy.